For most of us, our love affair with polymer clay began without the benefit of having dozens of similarly entranced people around us. Its popularity remains somewhat subtle, in spite of having hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts around the world. We do find each other online, yes, but our real-life polymer clay experiences can be rather limited!
This means that most of us don’t know another clayer “in real life”. We’ve likely never encountered another person’s polymer clay work. And it’s highly likely that most clayers have never seen (and held) high quality, top-of-its-game polymer clay artwork.
The Collection Begins
Realizing this, I began to wonder if it would be possible to collect excellent polymer clay artwork into a single collection and then take it with me when I travel to meet other clayers. I had several nice pieces in my collection, but not enough. For this idea to be successful, I would need a range of artwork. And that would require the cooperation of other artists.
I took the plunge and contacted top polymer clay artists around the world to see if they would be interested in sharing a piece of their art with me. I received unanimous support! Soon, art from around the world began arriving. The Travelling Polymer Clay Exhibition was born!
It's Truly "Travelling"
For each art piece, photos needed to be taken, details captured, a web page made. Display cards were printed. Each was fitted into a padded box. The entire collection fits into a carry-on sized suitcase and is displayed on two full-length banquet tables.
When we flew with the exhibition, we did decide to check it just to prevent complications going through security.
The Debut
As part of my commitment to spreading the love of polymer clay and bringing clayers around the world together, I worked with the British Polymer Clay Guild to organize three public Meet Ups (Towcester, Diss, and Glasgow). At each, we met to see demos, learn a bit about clay, and mostly just enjoy the humanity of coming together over a common interest. Attendees were encouraged to swap numbers and make plans to meet again soon.
While our wonderful demos were definitely a huge hit, I think the Travelling Exhibition was definitely a high point. It was fantastic hearing so many of you utter little squeaks of joy and hums of awe as each of the artworks were picked up and enjoyed with loving care.
In the US, the Travelling Exhibition was also shared with those who attended Claycation 2024 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
What's Next?
The Travelling Polymer Clay Exhibition is a curated collection showcasing a variety of techniques and styles while also being durable and remaining small enough to travel. It continues to grow by invitation only.
Would you like to host the Travelling Polymer Clay Exhibition at your next polymer clay gathering? Get in touch! We would love to share it with you!
